Not Like the Movies
by Lola-2011
Summary: Mary and Rhoda ponder the thought of a black and white movie romance. Could it be be more in reach than they think? Rhoda/Andy
1. Chapter 1

Not Like the Movies

Chapter: 1

Rating: PG-13

Rhoda picked up the remote and turned the television off. Another perfect ending to drama filled, sappy, love story. But damn Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy made it seem so easy, so good. And yet there they sat, Mary and Rhoda, two single women in their thirties waiting for their Spencer Tracy to knock on the door.

"I want a romance like that." she said. "Just like in the movies with all the drama and chaos and the eventual happily ever after."

Rhoda got up off the sofa and headed for the pan of brownies on the counter. "Does romance like that even exist?"

"I'd like to think so." she followed behind her friend and made her way into the kitchen. "I keep telling myself that it does, but I think I'm almost to the point where I'm not so sure anymore."

"Yeah." she cut another piece of brownie."I've kissed so many toads I've lost count. Maybe we're setting our standards too high."

Mary opened the drawer and got out two forks. "No, I don't think so." she handed one to her friend. "It'll be easier this way."

"I don't know, Mare." she slid her fork through the brownie and then took a bite. "I've dated so many losers that Ted is starting to look good. I mean I could date Ted. He's handsome."

Mary arched her eyebrow. "Ted?" she questioned. "Oh, my." she breathed out. "We do need to go out more often."

"Are there any guys at the station?" she asked. "What about the mail boy?"

"Scott?" her fork pierced through the brownie. "No, he's much too young."

"That's okay." Rhoda assured her. "If I can't find a man, I guess I can raise one."

Mary laughed. "Now that's an idea." she replied, taking a bite. "What about Wes? Why don't you let me set you up with him?"

"Wes Callison?" she asked. "The guy that you dated last year?"

"Yeah." she breathed out. "He's a great guy."

Rhoda took another bite. "If he's so great then why aren't you with him?"

"We just didn't work out, that's all." she told her. "He really is nice, Rhoda. He's funny and kind and sensitive. I think the two of you could hit it off."

"Uh, I don't know, Mare." she said. "Wouldn't that be kind of...awkward?"

"No, why would it be awkward?" she took another bite of brownie. "It's not like we were seriously involved."

"The two of you didn't...?"

"No, we didn't." Mary replied. "We only went out a few times. I had a good time with him but we just didn't click."

"No bells?"

"No, afraid not." she replied. "No bells, no sparks, no whistles."

"And this is the man you want to set me up with?"

"Just go out with him." Mary said. "If you have a terrible time you never have to see him again. Simple as that."

"I don't know, Mare." she sighed. "He's different from the guys I normally go out with."

"Different isn't always bad." she smiled. "Especially considering some of the winners you go out with."

Rhoda laughed. "Okay." she agreed. "I'll give it a shot with Wes, but there's no guarantee I'm going to be hearing bells or whistles either." she said. "Now we just have to find someone for you."

"Mmm." she sighed. "There is this sportscaster down at the station, Andy, and I was kind of thinking of asking him out."

"What's stopping you?"

"I don't know." she sighed. "Guts maybe."

"Come on, just ask him out." she encouraged. "He could be Mr. Right. Besides he's very handsome. Hey and if you don't hear bells with him, I wouldn't mind trying him out either."

Mary placed her fork down in the empty pan. "I guess there's only one way to find out." she said. "I just want to meet someone thoughtful and caring, someone who has a great personality. Someone who looks handsome in a tux and a sweatshirt. Someone who sends me flowers."

"Someone who's successful and secure." Rhoda added. "Someone who you can really talk to and who's a good listener. Someone who isn't wrapped up in himself."

"Someone gentle and sensitive, yet masculine." Mary daydreamed. "Sweet and charming."

"A good lover."

Mary sighed heavily. "I would take a man with half of those qualities."

"I'd settle for just three." Rhoda looked down at the empty pan of brownies. "I can't believe we ate the entire thing." she said. "Why did you let me do that?"

"It was good." she shrugged. "Besides you only ate half, at most."

"Oh, that's comforting."

Mary picked up the pan and placed it in the sink. "Misery loves company."

~The Next Morning~

Things at the newsroom were moving a little slow, but it was Monday morning. Mr. Grant was in his office nursing a hangover. Murray was silently pecking at the keys of his typewriter. And Ted was in his dressing room reading his fan mail. Mary had gone over most of her paperwork and she had only been there for an hour. She founded herself daydreaming off the perfect man. Someone along the lines of Robert Redford or Paul Newman. Perhaps a combination of the two.

Murray got up from his desk. "I need to go down to Ted's dressing room." he told her. "There's some words here I need to go over with him."

"Good luck." she laughed. "Last night he mispronounced Florida."

"Uhh, don't remind me."

Mary look back down at the budget sheet in front of her. Hopefully Mr. Grant's hangover would subside because he had an eleven o'clock meeting with the station manager. She was so caught up in what she was going she didn't hear the office door open or the clearing of a throat for attention.

"Excuse me, miss."

Mary turned and looked up. The man standing before her was everything that she had pictured when she and Rhoda were talking about Mr. Perfect. At least in appearance."Hi." she smiled. "Can I help you with something?"

He was tall. And handsome. His smile practically lit up the entire room. "I certainly hope so." he replied. "I'm looking for Wes Callison."

"Wes works one floor up." she said, standing up. "I can show you if you'd like."

"If it's not too much trouble." his smile was warm and infectious. "I'd like to surprise him." he extended his hand. "I'm Jack Callison, by the way."

She shook his hand. "You must be Wes's brother." she was completely taken by him. "I'm Mary Richards."

"It's nice to meet you, Mary." he held her hand in his. And for what felt like the longest time they just looked at each other. Jack instantly felt a connection, he was just unsure of how to handle it. "So, one floor up, huh?"

And there they were. The sparks she had been searching for. "Yeah." she reluctantly removed her hand from his. "Just follow me."

tbc...


	2. Chapter 2

Not Like the Movies

Chapter: 2

Rating: PG

After escorting Jack up to the next floor, Mary came back down to the newsroom to finish her work. But her concentration was no longer her own. Her mind kept linger on the tall, handsome stranger she had just met. They had made light conversation on the way up and from what she could tell he was fun and witty and his personality was truly one of a kind.

Mary looked back down at the budget sheet in front of her. She had to get with it, she had to get this done. Mr. Grant had a meeting in about an hour with the station manager and she needed to go over it with him. She pushed thoughts of Jack out of her mind and forced herself to focus on the task at hand.

She got up from her desk and walked over to the coffee pot. The newsroom door opened and Jack Callison walked in. "Hi." he smiled. "I'm glad I was able to catch you before your meeting. I was wondering if by any chance you were free for dinner tonight?"

Mary smiled. "Yeah." she sat the coffee cup down on the table. "I don't have any plans."

"Good." he said. "Wes said that he had a date with your friend and I thought we could double. Unless you would rather go out alone."

"No, it's alright." she assured him. "I don't mind going out with Rhoda and Wes."

"Then it's a date." he said. I'll pick you up around seven thirty?"

"Sounds great."

He was about to leave but turned back around. "I need your address."

"Oh, Rhoda and I live in the same building."

"I'll just follow Wes then." he said. "See you later."

"Bye."

Murray came back into the newsroom. "Who was that?"

"Hmm?" she asked, still in her state of dreamland. "Oh, Jack Callsion."

"Callsion?" he repeated. "Is he related to Wes?"

"His brother." she picked up her coffee cup and walked back to her desk. "We're going to have dinner after work."

"Hopefully things will go better with him than with his brother."

"Yeah." she smiled. "We're going to double date, Jack and me and Wes and Rhoda. It should make for a very interesting evening."

"To say the least." he replied. "He's not a comedy writer too, is he?"

"No." she said. "He's in advertizing and he's moving to Minneapolis." she thought for a moment. "Hey, Mur, you don't think it would be awkward because I dated Wes, do you?"

"Well that depends." he replied. "Do you still have feelings for Wes?"

"No."

"Does he still have feelings for you?"

"No." she replied. "And besides he's going out with Rhoda."

Murray nodded. "Then no I don't think things will be awkward." he said. "Not unless you let it be awkward."

xxxx

Dinner wasn't as nearly as awkward as anyone thought it would be. Because in the back of everyone's mind that's what they thought, even if they couldn't admit. Rhoda and Wes really seemed to hit it off well. They were alike in a lot of ways and but there was still enough difference for the two of them to work well off of each other.

Wes walked her up to her apartment. "You really don't mind going to the hockey game?" he asked. "Because you can back out."

Rhoda smiled. "No, Wes, I wanna go." she unlocked her apartment door. "Really I do."

"Okay." he replied. "We can go grab a pizza afterwards."

"Sounds good." she leaned against the open doorway. "I had a really good time tonight, Wes."

"Really?" he asked. "You're not just saying that?"

"No, I'm not just saying that." she replied. "I wouldn't have agreed to go to the hockey game with you if I had an awful time tonight."

"Yeah, I guess not."

Rhoda stepped inside her apartment. "You wanna come inside for a drink?"

"Sure." he said, following her inside. "How come we've never done this before?"

"I don't know." she closed the door behind them. "This is the best date I've had in a really long time."

"You flatter me." Wes said, looking around. "It's certainly bright in here."

"I like color." she said. "And the red has a lot of personality."

He sat down in the wicker chair. "It certainly does." he agreed. "It's a good color for you, vibrant and full of life."

Rhoda uncapped the brandy. "You certainly know how to compliment a girl."

"Do I?" he asked. "I'm afraid I'm a bit out of practice."

"That's quite alright." she poured two glasses. "You can practice on me all you'd like."

~Mary's Apartment~

Mary poured two glasses of wine and brought them into the livingroom where Jack was sitting on the sofa. She handed him a glass and sat down beside him. "So what prompted your big move from Chicago?"

"I needed a change of pace." he replied. "With both Matt and Hannah in college now I didn't really see any reason for me to stick around. Donna and I have been divorced for about three years now but we were separated for about five years before that."

"Why so long?"

"To be honest I'm not really sure." he took a drink of wine. "I guess mainly because we wanted to try and hold on to whatever we could for the sake of our kids. We're both much happier people now that we're apart. What about you? Ever been married?"

"No." she replied. "I have a few broken engagements. I actually moved here to Minneapolis after I left the guy I was living with."

"What went wrong? If you don't mind my asking."

"We just grew apart." she told him. "He was studying to be a doctor and we didn't really spend any quality time together."

"So you just packed up and moved to Minneapolis?"

"Yes." she took a sip of wine. "It was the best decision I ever made. It was also the scariest, leaving my friends and family behind. But I needed to start over somewhere new, I needed to prove something to myself."

"And have you?"

"Yes." she replied. "I've found out that I'm strong and independent and that I don't need the support of a man."

Jack smiled. "It took a lot of guts to do what you did."

"I just knew that I needed a change." she said. "And I've never regretted coming here."

"You know I think I'm going to like it here too." he took a sip of wine. "Especially if you're going to be around. That is if you'll see me again."

"I don't know, that depends." she said. "Are you asking me out?"

"Are you free for lunch tomorrow?"

"I believe so, yes."

"We don't have to take Wes and Rhoda with us, do we?"

Mary laughed. "Of course not."

He sat his wine glass down on the coffee table. "I'm glad I worked up the courage to ask you out tonight." he said. "I almost didn't, you know. Sometimes the presence of a beautiful woman intimidates me."

"I had a really good time."

"Yeah, me too." his smiled was worth at least a million bucks. "I hate to run out on you like this but I have an early meeting tomorrow morning." he got up off the sofa. "What time would you like me to pick you up for lunch?"

"Around twelve thirty."

He walked toward the door. "I'm counting on you to show me where all the great restaurants are." he said. "And that includes the pizza places."

Mary followed behind him. "I think I can handle that."

"I'll see you tomorrow." he opened the door and started to walk out but turned back around. "I forgot something."

"What's that?"

Jack gently cupped her face gently in his hands, his thumbs brushing against the delicate skin, pulling her closer and closer to him. His lips parted slightly as he leaned, his lips brushing against hers. It was like electricity, like magic, like nothing he had ever experienced before. And they kissed. Slowly and softly and sweetly. And for what felt like forever.

"Goodnight, Mary."

"Goodnight."

tbc...


	3. Chapter 3

Not Like the Movies

Chapter: 3

Rating: PG

The past two weeks had been like an absolute fairytale. Like something right out of the movies. Jack Callison was the tall, handsome, slightly mysterious stranger that rode into town and swept her off her feet. He was fun and adventurous, he loved spontaneity. Impromptu picnics in the park, surprise dinner dates, deciding to go ice skating at midnight.

And then there was the romance. The time he flooded the newsroom with flowers or when he serenaded her in the park. Mary was really starting to believe that he was her knight in shining armor, her prince charming, her Spencer Tracy. She loved being with him. And it seemed as if they were always together. They spent at least one meal together a day, and sometimes two.

"Knock, knock." Rhoda said, pushing the door open. "Alone?"

"Yes." Mary removed a tray of pastries from the oven. "Hungry?"

"I could eat." she made her way over to the breakfast bar. "I haven't seen much of you in a while."

She couldn't hide her smile. "I've been seeing a lot of Jack."

"I know." she replied. "Things seem to be going very well between the two of you."

"They are." she grabbed a spatula out of the drawer. "Jack's a really great guy. I just love being with him, it doesn't really matter what we do."

"Yeah." she breathed out. "I'm a little surprised he's not here."

"Well he's been apartment hunting and he's finally found one that he likes." she starting putting the pastries on a plate. "He's over with the movers now. I told him I would come help him out a little later. You want to go with me?"

Rhoda picked up a pastry off the bottom of the pile. "No, I have a lunch date."

"That's great." she replied. "How are things going with Wes?"

"Wes?" she taking a bite. "Oh, no, Mare. Wes and I have decided to be just friends."

"Oh, no." Mary sighed. "That's too bad. Who's your lunch date with then?"

"Andy Rivers." Rhoda told her. "It's actually our second date."

Mary was a little stunned. She and Rhoda usually told each other everything. "I didn't know that you were seeing him." she said. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"

Rhoda shrugged. "You're never home."

She placed the empty pan and the spatula in the sink."Yes I am." she argued. "I'm always here at night and in the mornings."

"Very late at night and very early in the mornings." she pointed out. "I've been trying to catch you all week."

"Sorry, Rhoda." she said. "It's just that Jack and I have been busy. We've been getting to know each other better."

"Uh huh." she arched an eyebrow. "And just how well do you know Jack Callison?"

Mary just shook her head. "I'm not going to answer that."

"Good." she smiled. "That means you haven't gone to bed with him yet. But I guess now that he has an apartment all that will change."

"Rhoda!"

"Sorry." she half apologized. "You're just never around anymore, I thought you were at least getting something out of it."

"I've only known Jack for a couple of weeks." she reminded her. "I don't want things to move too quickly."

"I think you've passed that point." she said. "I think you're caught up in this whirlwind romance."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I think you need to slow it down." Rhoda suggested. "If you don't then you're either going to burn yourself up or burn yourself out where Jack Callison is concerned."

"I don't think Jack and I are having a whirlwind romance." she told her. "I think what we have is very good and very real."

"So are you saying you're in love with him?"

"I'm saying it wouldn't be that difficult to fall in love with him."

"I'm sure it wouldn't." she agreed. "Because you're already there."

Mary was suddenly very serious. "Would you please stop?" she asked. "I'm not in love with Jack. Yes it's true that we've been spending a lot of time together but we're just trying to figure out where this is going."

"Okay, okay." she said in defeat. "I'm sorry, you don't have to get so defensive."

"I'm not defensive."

"Fine." she breathed out. "Let's talk about something else."

"Lets." she agreed. "So what happened between you and Wes?"

Rhoda shrugged. "No sparks." she told her. "He's a really nice guy and I like him a lot, but we just weren't attracted to each other. We had a great time at the hockey games, in fact we're going to another game next week."

"So how did you meet Andy?"

"Oh, I bumped into him in the elevator at WJM." she replied. "I was coming to see you but you were at lunch with Jack."

"And you asked him out?"

"No." she replied. "Andy asked me. He said that he remembered me from one of your parties. We seemed to hit it off right away, you know? He's easy to talk to and he's got a great sense of humor. We had a really great time at dinner last night."

Mary smiled. "That's fantastic, Rhoda." she said. "And you're having lunch today? A second date?"

"Yeah." she smiled. "Well actually we're going to go to a move first. Hey, maybe sometime the four of us could get together and go out."

"I'd like that." Mary said. "I would really like it if you got to know Jack, he's a wonderful man."

"I know he is." she replied. "Wes spoke very highly about him. I just don't want to see you get hurt, that's all."

"Life doesn't come with guarantees."

"I know that, but just be careful, okay?" she was concerned. "Try and slow things down a little. There's no need to rush, the two of you have all the time in the world."

~Jack's Apartment~

Jack ran his hand through his silver hair, every lock falling perfectly back into place. All of his stuff had arrived and his furniture was all put into place. It was the little things like putting things away in the kitchen cabinets and unpacking years worth of mementos that took forever. He was hoping that Mary would help him out, that she could provide the woman's touch his apartment needed in order to feel like a home and not a bachelor pad.

It was almost noon when his doorbell buzzed. He opened it and found Mary standing on the other side. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Their lips met in the most delicious kiss. Her lips parted ever so slightly. He licked over her bottom lip with the very tip of his tongue before he masterfully invaded her warm, wet mouth, intertwining what felt like silk against satin.

And finally when they couldn't breathe they pulled back. "Would you like to come in?" he asked. "I'll give you the grand tour."

"I'd love to."

He took her by the hand and pulled her inside, closing the door behind him. "This is the livingroom." he said, helping her off with her coat. "What do you think?"

"Very nice." she looked around the apartment. "It's a little different from the other apartment you looked at."

Jack threw her coat over the back of the chair. "Well the other apartment only had one bedroom, this one has two." he told her. "I thought I would use one as an office."

"Mmm." she sighed. "You've gotten a lot done."

"The furniture was the main thing." he told her. "Now that it's all in place I'm hoping that the rest of the unpacking won't be so bad."

"And that's the reason I'm here?"

"Yes." he smiled, pulling her into his arms. "That and I thought we could have some lunch before we dove right into things. You know how I hate to eat alone."

"Yes, I know." her lips met his briefly. "Where do you want to go?"

His mouth moved to cover hers and she gave into him like a moth to a flame. "I thought we could order in." he said when they finally parted. "Pizza?"

"Sure." she replied. "But can't I have the rest of my tour first?"

"Of course." he said, taking her hand once again. "This is the dining area and right through this swinging door is the kitchen." he pointed out, walking them toward the hallway. "This is the office to your left."

"Short tour."

"It isn't over yet." he assured her. "Would you like to see bedroom?"

tbc...


	4. Chapter 4

Not Like the Movies

Chapter: 4

Rating: PG-13

Jack led Mary into the bedroom. "So what do you think?" he asked. "Needs a woman's touch, right?"

"Perhaps."

He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Where do you think we should start?" he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.

"Here's good."

He was handsome and oh so charming. "Are we moving too fast here?" he asked. "I don't think we should rush into anything."

She turned around to face him. "I think it's a little late for that."

Not to mention the perfect gentlemen. "Oh, I know it is." he agreed. "I just want to make sure that..."

Mary silenced him with a kiss. "I think you talk too much." she said, pulling back. "There's no reason to overanalyze everything."

And he was an expert kisser. Every time their lips met everything else around them just faded away. "Sorry." he smiled. "Nervous habit."

"There's no need to be nervous."

"You're absolutely right."

"Of course I am." she smiled. "Now about the decorating..."

"I want it to be cozy." he told her. "Romantic even."

"Romantic?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah." he drew her back into his arms. "You do like romance don't you? Flowers and chocolates and champagne. Soft music, candlelight."

God, he really was the perfect man. Her lips parted slightly, her tongue slipping between to wet them. And she wanted him. Her eyes were completely focused on his mouth, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him. She moved her mouth closer and closer to his. The tip of her tongue just barely touched against his igniting a fire so hot and so passionate that they both knew there would be no turning back.

"Wow." he breathed out. "Are you sure?"

Mary smiled. "Yes." she replied. "I'm sure."

"Good." he replied. "Kiss me again."

"I think that's my line."

"Sorry."

Their lovemaking was soft and slow at first, moving together with such tenderness, acquainting themselves with each other's bodies. With each passing second their movements became quicker and more deliberate, pent up passion and laden lust came rushing out and they were lost. Lost in each other, lost in the moment. An almost forbidden push-pull dance that ended in such an eruption of passion that it felt as though the earth was shattering beneath them.

They laid together peacefully, intertwined not only with each other but in the sheets as well. Jack lazily traced his fingertips up and down her bare back. "It would be so incredibly easy to fall head over heels in love with you." he told her. "So easy that I think I've already done it."

Mary looked up at him. "You know Jack, you really shouldn't say things like that unless you mean them."

"I do mean them." he said, seriously. "I think we make a pretty good match, don't you?"

She smiled. "The thought did cross my mind."

"I love spending time with you." he told her. "I know it might sound crazy, I mean we've only know each other a few weeks, but I can't imagine my life without you."

"I feel the same way." she confessed. "I thought I was the crazy one."

Jack laughed. "Maybe we're both crazy then."

"Maybe." she said. "But if we both feel this way then there's probably something to it."

"Doesn't that scare you?"

"A little." she replied, honestly. "I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. Sometimes it scares me and other times it scares me thinking of what life would be like without you."

Jack dropped a kiss onto her lips. "I don't know what this is between us, Mary, but I think we would be fools not to explore it to it's deepest levels. I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you. And I know that we're moving fast, but I can't help it. Why should we slow down when life holds no guarantees?"

"I know what you mean." she agreed. "We don't know what the future holds but we can make damn good of the present. I think as long as we're happy that's all that matters. And you are happy, aren't you, Jack?"

"Deliriously so." he smiled a million dollar smile. "These past few weeks I've been happier than I've ever been in my entire life. You know I never really believed in love at first sight, or fate until I met you. But now I feel like everything's changed. I feel like I can conquer the world if I have you at my side."

Mary was absolutely captivated by him. He was different from any other man she had ever met. He was the man she had been dreaming of since she was sixteen. Her knight in shining armor. "The world, huh?"

"I think your heart would do."

"Well I think you already have that."

Jack leaned forward and kissed her. "I promise I'll keep it safe." he told her. "It will never get broken in my care."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"I want you to." he said. "I think you've had my heart in your hands since the very first moment our eyes met at WJM. From the moment I saw you I knew you were perfect for me. And now that I know that you feel the same way maybe what I'm about to ask you won't sound as crazy."

"Ask me?"

"Yes." he smiled. "I would like it very much if you would think about moving in here with me."

"Moving in?" that certainly wasn't what she was expecting to hear. "You want to live together? I don't know, Jack, that seems a little sudden, don't you think?"

"I know it's crazy..."

"It's insane." she interjected. "Absolutely insane."

"It doesn't have to be right away." he said. "I just want you to think about it."

xxxxx

Lunch and the movies somehow turned into spending the entire day together. They had dinner and then decided to take a walk by the lake. It was only their second official date, but Rhoda could see something in Andy that she never did in any of the other guys she went out with. This guy was successful and handsome and kind and caring. He was the kind of guy she could take home to her mother.

Andy reached for her hand. He seemed to be a bit old fashioned that way. "I've had a really great time today." he said, interlacing his fingers with hers. "Even if that movie was awful."

"At least we got some good laughs out of it."

"Yeah." he laughed. "But I think we laughed at all the wrong parts."

"At least we laughed." she said. "I've had a really good time too."

Andy couldn't hide his smile. Not even if he wanted to. "Does that mean you'll go out with me again?"

"Well that depends." she said. "Are you asking me?"

He stopped them mid-step and turned so that they were face to face. "Hey, Rhoda." his smile was warm and inviting. "You wanna go out with me again?"

"I'd love to."

"The Teddy awards are on Friday night." he told her. "Do you happen to own a dress that would make every woman in Minneapolis incredibly jealous?"

There was something about him that made her feel different, made her feel confident. "Uh, I think I may be able to come up with something." she said.. "But are you going to make me wait six whole days to see you again?"

"Of course not." he said. "I have every intention of taking you out to lunch on Monday. If you want to go, that is."

"Yeah, I'll come by the station and pick you up."

"And Wednesday night I have to cover the Vikings game." he told her. "You can come along if you want. Sit right on the sidelines."

"I think I'm going to like dating a sportscaster."

"Yeah?" he asked. "Why's that?"

"Great seats at all the sporting events?" she laughed. "You're going to have a very hard time getting dumping me."

"I wouldn't dream of it." he said, gently cupping her face in his hands. "In fact I see a bright and happy future ahead of us."

"You do?"

Andy inched in closer to her, his lips delicately brushing against hers. "Yeah, I do." he smiled as he pulled away from her. "And by the time we go to the Teddy Awards you'll see it to."

"You're very confident."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No." she assured him. "I think it's very sexy."

Andy smiled, taking her hand in his. "How about we continue our moonlight stroll?" They walked along with lake for about an hour just talking about whatever came up in conversation. There was something between them that just clicked. Something that they couldn't explain, but something they both wanted to explore. He walked her back to her apartment.

Rhoda unlocked her door. "Thanks for a great day."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you." he said. "After all without you I would have had to spend the day completely alone." he leaned in and softly kissed her. "I really like you, Rhoda."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. "I really like you, too, Andy." they kissed slowly and romantically. "I would invite you in, but I don't want to rush things. So I guess I'll just say goodnight."

"I'm okay with just a kiss goodnight." he quickly kissed her again. "Goodnight, Rhoda."

"Goodnight, Andy."

tbc...


	5. Chapter 5

Not Like the Movies

Chapter: 5

Rating: PG

It was the night of the Teddy Awards. And it was pouring rain. Their promising evening was turning out to be not so promising. Everyone was nominated and hopefully one of them would come home with an award. Ted especially because it was always awkward when he tripped the winner. Everyone was meeting at Mary's for drinks before the show and depending on how the night went they would be celebrating at Murray's afterwards.

There was a soft knock at her door and she opened it to find Jack standing on the other side with a bottle of champagne in one hand and a dozen roses in the other. Mary smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "What's all this?"

He handed her the flowers. "Just a little congratulatory gift."

"Congratulatory?" she arched an eyebrow. "Who says I'm going to win?"

"Just a gut feeling." he closed the door behind him. "You're not ready yet."

"Sure I am." she joked. "I thought I would just go in my bathrobe."

"And waste that incredible dress you just bought?" he said. "Am I the first one here?"

Mary made her way through the apartment and into the kitchen to put the flowers in water. "Well you are a little early."

"Yeah, I know." he said, sitting down on the sofa. "I purposely planned it. Why don't you come over here so I can tell you how incredibly beautiful you look."

"I need to put my dress on." she said. "People are going to start coming through that door in about twenty minutes."

"Could I be of any assistance?"

Mary headed up the steps and toward the bathroom. "I think I can manage."

"You'll need someone to zip you up."

She turned around at the closet doors. "I'll let you know when I need your assistance." she smiled.

"I'm taking that as an invitation." Jack said as he got up off the sofa. "You know if you lived with me you wouldn't have these issues."

"If I lived with you I'd be late for everything."

He followed her into the closet. "I think being deliriously happy and in love out weighs being a few minutes late."

Mary slipped off her bathrobe. "Well we cannot be late tonight, Jack."

He took the red dress off the hanger. "We won't be late, I promise." he handed it to her. "I'm just going to help you zip up your dress." he said. "And red is your color."

She slipped the dress on and turned around for him to zip it just like he had promised. "I don't think I told you how handsome you look." she told him. "You should wear a tuxedo more often."

"If you think I look this good in a tux you should see how I look out of one."

Mary laughed as she turned around to face him. "Don't you know that good things come to those who wait?"

His hands settled on her waist. "I certainly hope so because I've been a very patient man."

She leaned up to kiss him. "Yes you have." she said. "But I'm still not ready to move in with you."

"Come on, Mary." he smiled. "It's been three months since I asked you."

"It's still too soon." she told him. "We need more time."

"What if I asked you to marry me?"

Mary smiled. "That would be very sweet but I'd have to say no." she told him. "It's still too soon."

"But I love you."

"And I love you." she kissed him soundly. "When the time is right, I'll except your offer."

"Of marriage?"

She walked out of the closet."Of living together." she replied, opening her jewelry box. "When I'm proposed to I want it to be romantic and memorable. Not just an offer."

Jack smiled. "I'll keep that in mind." he said. "Something grand and theatrical."

She sorted through necklaces until she found the right one. "I don't know about all that."

"Something simple and modest then." he concluded. "I intend to sweep you off your feet."

"You already have, darling"

"Allow me." he fastened her necklace for her. "Why don't we make a little bet."

"A bet?"

"Yes." he replied. "If you win tonight we'll fly to Mexico and get married."

Mary turned around to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You know there are three other nominees other than myself."

"Yes." he said. "What do you say? Are you willing to take me up on my bet?"

"I don't know, Jack..."

"So you do think you're going to win." he smiled mischievously. "Come on, it's all in good fun."

"All in good fun?" she laughed. "We could end up married."

"But look on the bright side." he started. "You would be a Teddy Award winner."

Mary arched a well defined eyebrow. "Wouldn't the bright side be that I would be your wife?"

"Oh, so you do think that would be the bright side."

~Rhoda's Apartment~

Over the past three months everything had been absolutely perfect between Andy and Rhoda. They took walks through the park on their lunch hours, they went to sporting events, they went on romantic dates filled with candlelight and soft music. And tonight was the night Andy was waiting for. He had promised her that by the time the Teddy Awards rolled around that she would be able to see their bright and happy future very clearly in front of her.

Rhoda exited the bathroom in the most beautiful black dress that he had ever laid eyes on. Or maybe it was just that she was the most beautiful woman that he had ever laid eyes on and the dress didn't have a damn thing to do with it. Either way black strapless with a slit up the leg was definitely the way to go.

Andy got up off the bed and walked toward her. "You look beautiful." he smiled. "Absolutely stunning."

"You lie very well."

Andy shook his head. "I'm not lying and you know it." he told her. "You can't put on a dress like that and not know that you're an absolute knockout."

Rhoda smiled. "It looks good."

"Good?" he laughed. "There's nothing 'good' about this dress. You look sexy and seductive and beautiful and alluring and a million other things that far surpass good."

"You certainly know how to flatter a girl."

"And the night is still young." he reached out for her, drawing her into his arms. "I can't wait to show you off." he leaned in and lightly kissed her lips. "I'm such a lucky man."

Rhoda couldn't remember the last time she felt this happy, this confident, this loved. And it was love, that she was sure of. "You're an amazing man, Andy Rivers."

"I try."

She leaned in and kissed him, soft and slow. And after several long moments she pulled back. "I think that we should probably go."

Andy's mouth moved to cover hers again. "Not just yet." he said. "We still have plenty of time."

"If we don't leave now we're probably not going to make it to the Teddy Awards." she said, pulling back. "And I love to see Ted lose."

He laughed. "Okay." he agreed. "But I want a rain check on where we left off."

"You've got a deal."

tbc...


	6. Chapter 6

Not Like the Movies

Chapter: 3

Paring: Rhoda Morgenstern & Andy Rivers, Mary Richards & Jack Callison

Rating: PG

The before party was in full swing. Everyone was having drinks and chatting about the upcoming awards ceremony. Some were even taking bets on who Ted would trip this year. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits though. Even Lou was in a good mood. He knew that tonight was Mary's night. There was no way she was walking out of that ceremony without an award.

Rhoda glanced out Mary's french doors and noticed that the rain was beginning to slack up. That was a good sign, but hopefully not too good of a sign. The Teddy Awards for the crew at WJM was more or less a comedy adventure. You never really knew what was going to happen, but you could always count on Ted doing something outlandish.

She glanced over at Mary and Jack who were practically holed up in the kitchen. For the past several months they had been sticking to each other like glue. And she was very surprised when Mary turned down Jack's offer for her to move in with him. Then again if there was one thing she knew for sure about Mary it was that she never rushed into anything. But Jack Callison seemed to have this effect on her that not even Mary could rationalize.

Andy came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You look deep in thought." he said. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes." she replied. "I was just watching Mary and Jack."

He looked across the crowded room until he spotted them. "Mmm." he sighed. "I would say they're head over heels for each other."

"Yeah." she agreed. "Head over heels in lust."

"Well, not everyone can have what we have."

Rhoda turned around so that she was in his arms. "Oh, yeah?" she wrapped her arms around his neck. "And what is it that we have?"

"Love, of course."

She was stunned. The thought that she loved him had crossed her mind. But mainly she kept it at bay. She wasn't the greatest at relationships and she didn't want to get ahead of herself. Andy saying the words out loud made her realize that it was okay to tell him how she felt. For the first time in her life she felt safe and secure in the arms of a man. A man that she could see herself spending the rest of her life with.

A smile played on her lips. "Love?"

"Yes." he leaned in and softly kissed her lips. "I don't know rather you've noticed or not but I love you, Rhoda Morgenstern." he told her. "In fact I would say that I'm head over heels in love with you."

She felt her heart actually skip a beat. It was almost as if he was too good to be true. But it was and he was saying it to her. "Are you sure?"

"Am I sure?" he laughed. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

Rhoda smiled. "Good." she replied. "Because I love you, too."

Andy leaned in, kissing her perhaps a little too passionately, but he didn't care. He had found the woman that he had spent his adult life looking for. The woman that he was in love with. "You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that." he told her. "I had this fear of saying it and not hearing it back."

"Never." she assured him. "And I must admit that I've felt this way for a while, I just needed to know that I wasn't alone."

"Then we really are perfect for each other, aren't we?"

"I think so." she said. "You still have to pass the test of meeting my mother though."

Andy smiled. "I think I can handle your mother." he said. "After all I swept her daughter completely off her feet."

"Yeah." she smiled back. "And the fact that you're half Jewish certainly doesn't hurt."

~Television Editors Awards Ceremony~

Mary had won. She had actually won. Even thought that Lou had been telling her all week that the award was hers she didn't seem to believe it. She was sitting with the award in her hands and she still couldn't quite believe that she had won.

"Come on, Mare." Ted practically whined. "Just let me hold it, just for a moment. Pretty, pretty please?"

Mary shook her head and smiled. "Not a chance, Ted." she replied. "I don't want your drool all over my nice and shiny Teddy."

Lou laughed. "Just relax, Ted." he told him. "You might get one, too."

"You really think so Lou?" his hopes were high and he wanted a Teddy more than anything. "You really think I could win?"

"Not a chance." he said. "And don't trip the winner this year either."

Ted shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about, Lou." he said. "I've never tripped any of the winners."

Lou took a drink of scotch. "Sure you haven't."

Jack leaned into Mary. "You won." he said. "You know what that means."

"You really want to go through with this?" she asked. "You really want to get married?"

"Yes." he told her. "I wouldn't have made the bet if I didn't intend to go through with it. I told you you were going to win and you agreed to be my wife if you did."

"And you're really going to hold me to that?"

Jack nodded. "I have every intention." he said. "I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Why are you so hesitant?"

"I don't know." she replied, honestly. "But you're right, I did give you my word. And I do love you, Jack."

"So we'll get married?"

Mary smiled. "Under one condition though."

"Anything."

"I want my proper proposal."

"And you'll have it." he said. "As soon as I get you back to my apartment."

Mary was intrigued. Jack always had a way of making the ordinary seem extraordinary. He was a great romancer. He loved sending flowers and toasting with champagne, and he could dance practically all night long. He was a thoughtful and generous lover. And a kind and gentle man. But most importantly he loved her. She would be crazy not to want to spend the rest of her life with him.

~Minneapolis Airport~

Mary was pacing back and forth as she waited for her best friend to arrive. She could not get married without Rhoda at her side. That was one of her only requests after Jack's proposal. He was so nervous he had practically showered them in champagne, but they toasted to a long life together and then he got down on one knee and presented her with one hell of a sparkling diamond ring. Jack was ready to head to Mexico. He had every intention of making her his wife as quickly as he could.

"Where are they?" Mary asked as they paced back and forth. "What's taking so long?"

Jack stopped her mid pace. "They'll be here soon." he assured her. "Just try to relax."

Mary smiled. "I am." she breathed out. "I love you." she told him. "I just don't want to do this without Rhoda."

"I understand." he said. "And she'll make it. I know she will. Give her a little time to get her things together"

"It didn't take me that long."

Jack placed his comforting hands on her shoulders. "You packed so quickly I doubt you have anything of any use in your bag."

Mary laughed. "Probably not."she said. "But it doesn't matter. I'll buy something when I get down there."

"I wouldn't mind marrying you in exactly what you have on." he smiled. "I just want you to be my wife."

'I want that too."

Rhoda and Andy popped around the corner. "Hey, guys!" she said. "We got here as soon as we could." she sat her bag down in one of the chairs and enveloped Mary in a tight hug. "I'm so happy for you, Mare."

She pulled back and looked at her friend. "Thank you, Rhoda." she replied. "I'm so glad you made it."

"Are you kidding me?" she asked. "I won't miss this for anything in the world."

The four of them boarded a plane for Mexico. And little did they know that nothing was ever going to be the same for any of them ever again.

tbc...


	7. Chapter 7

Not Like the Movies

Chapter: 7

Pairings: Mary Richards & Jack Callison, Rhoda Morgenstern & Andy Rivers

Rating: PG-13

They boarded the plane almost as soon as Andy and Rhoda arrived at the airport. Mary and Jack were sitting a few rows behind the soon to be newlyweds. But Rhoda needed to talk to Mary. And alone. They didn't get a chance before takeoff and she couldn't wait until the hours it would take them to get to Mexico. So she did the only thing she could think of. She sent Andy up a few rows to switch places with Mary.

Rhoda moved over next to the window so that Mary could have the aisle seat. And together they sat in silence for several long moments. Finally Rhoda spoke. "Marriage is a pretty big step."

"I know." Mary replied. "But I love Jack and I think we're ready."

"You think?" she questioned. "You shouldn't have any doubts about marriage. You should be absolutely sure."

"I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else."

"I can believe that."

"Then why don't you believe that I'm ready to marry him?"

Rhoda shrugged. "Because something tells me you accepted his proposal for a different reason."

Her eyes were glued to the seat in front of her. "I accepted his proposal because I wanted to."

"Mmm." she sighed. "Are you still late?"

"Yes." she answered quietly.

"So, that's what?" she asked. "Two weeks?"

"Ten days." Mary corrected her as she turned her head to look at her.

"Two weeks or ten days, late is late, Mare." she told her. "Why haven't you been to see the doctor?"

"I was going to wait until I hit the two week mark." she wasn't lying, she was just scared to say it out loud. Like somehow four days was going to make all the difference. "I'll make an appointment when we get back."

"What did Jack say?"

"Nothing." she replied. "I haven't told him."

"What?" she was almost outraged. "Why haven't you told him?"

"Because there's nothing to tell, Rhoda." she insisted. "Just because I'm a little late doesn't mean I'm pregnant."

"No." she agreed. "But I would think you would want to share this with your future husband."

Mary nodded. "I'm going to tell him." she replied. "I'm just waiting for the right time, that's all."

"There's no time like the present."

She nodded in agreement. She knew that Rhoda was right, she needed to tell Jack. Telling him was something she should have done before she accepted his marriage proposal. How could they possibly build a marriage if she didn't? Mary left Rhoda's side and switched places again with Andy.

Jack smiled as she returned. "Everything alright?"

"Fine." she replied. "Rhoda just wanted to talk."

He nodded. "Working out some of the details?"

She was having a hard time bringing herself to tell him. And she should he able to. She loved him, she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. Several moments of silence lingered between them.

"Mary?"

"There's something we have to talk about."

"Sounds serious." he said. "What's wrong? Are you having second thoughts?"

"Not exactly." she replied. "I should have told you this earlier, probably before you proposed, but I didn't want to without knowing for sure. But I think you should know before..."

"Mary, what's wrong?" he asked. "You're starting to scare me."

"I'm late, Jack." she blurted out. "Almost two weeks."

"Late?" he repeated, absolutely stunned. "You think you're pregnant?"

"I don't know." she replied, honestly. "I really don't think I am but I've never been late before."

Jack nodded. "I see." he said. "So you haven't seen the doctor?"

"No, not yet." she said. "I've kind of been putting it off."

There was a definite note of panic in his voice, he couldn't hide it. "But you don't think you're pregnant?"

"Well, no, I don't think so." she told him. "I mean I feel completely fine."

"That doesn't mean that you're not pregnant." Jack pointed out. "Maybe you're one of the lucky ones that doesn't experience any symptoms."

"Jack, I really don't think I'm pregnant."

"It's a possibility though."

Mary just looked at him. "Of course it's a possibility." she replied. "There's always a possibility, nothing is one hundred percent effective. Why? Did you think I stopped taking the pill?"

"No." he said, immediately. "Of course not."

"I would never do something like that." she said. "I think that's a decision that would need to be made together."

Jack nodded in agreement. "I think so too." he said. "And I know that you would never do something like that. I'm just a little surprised, I guess. I mean I thought we would be married for a while before we had a baby."

"You make it sound like we're having a baby right now."

"Well, we might be."

"I really don't think that we are, Jack." she told him. "I've just been so stressed out these last few weeks with everything going on at work. Maybe now I can start to relax a bit."

"I'm sorry." he apologized. "Let's just not worry about any of this until we know for sure."

Mary nodded, not sure that she liked his reaction. "Okay."

The next morning came bright and early. Mary had spent most of the night wide awake, thinking things over. And she kept coming back to the same thing. Something wasn't right. Something just didn't feel right. Jack and Andy had left to run a few errands and Mary went over to Rhoda's hotel room.

"Hey, Mare." she opened the door. "Come on in." she said. "You wanna go get some breakfast?"

"I can't do this." Mary told Rhoda. "I can't marry Jack."

"When did you decide this?"

"Sometime between the plane ride and this morning." she sat down on the bed. "When I told him I was late he wasn't happy."

Rhoda sat down next to her. "Did you tell you that?"

"He didn't have to." she replied. "You should have heard the sound of his voice. And it made me realize that I should have wanted to tell him right away, not hide it from him. I thought he would be supportive and the only thing he did was add to my fears."

"I'm sure he was just shocked." she tried to explain. "I mean you've had some time to potential get use to the idea, he hasn't."

Mary just shook her head. "It just doesn't feel right, Rhoda." she told her. "I can't marry him, I can't."

"What if you really are pregnant?"

"Even if I am, which I don't think I am, I still can't marry him."

tbc...


	8. Chapter 8

Not Like the Movies

Chapter: 8

Rating: PG

To say that Rhoda was shocked by the events that had just transpired was an understatement. The past twelve hours had been like a whirlwind, but nothing had prepared her for Mary's reaction. And her subsequent take off back to the states. The flight home between the remaining three was certainly going to be an interesting one to say the least.

Jack was sitting at the bar nursing his third scotch when Rhoda found him. Just as he was coming to terms with the thought of becoming a father again Mary up and took off. She stated simply and calmly that she couldn't marry him and then just walked out of their suite with her monogrammed suitcase. And his whole world crumbled to the ground.

"Why?" he breathed out. "We were going to get married. I even have the marriage license." he took it out of his jacket pocket and laid it on the bar. "She just left, Rhoda. She told me that getting married would be a mistake and that she didn't want to see me anymore. What am I suppose to do now?"

"I don't know." she replied, honestly. "Mary's hurting and upset. She expected you to be more supportive."

"I was just taken by surprise, that's all." he said. "I just needed some time to let everything sink in."

"And now?"

"I still want to marry her, Rhoda." he told her."I love her, I can't imagine my life without her. I tried to convince her to stay, but she wouldn't listen to anything I had to say. What if she is pregnant? What am I suppose to do? Just leave her alone and forget about my child?"

"I think Mary just needs some time to cool off." she suggested. "So much has happened and so quickly, Jack. I think the two of you need a little time apart, some space to breathe."

"I don't know if that's the answer." he said. "I don't think space is going to make anything better, but I don't want to upset her. That's the last thing she needs right now especially if she's pregnant."

"She doesn't think she is, Jack." she said. "She just wanted to be open and honest with you."

Jack nodded. "And I blew it."

xxxxx

Rhoda returned to her hotel room to find it illuminated with candlelight and flooded with exotic flowers. Andy was pouring champagne. She carefully closed the door behind her. "What's all this?"

"A little romance." he said.. "I figure that as long as we're here we should enjoy it."

She crossed the room to where he was."You're certainly full of surprises."

"I thought you liked surprises?"

"Mmm...sometimes."

Andy smiled. "Well, I think you'll like this one."

"You mean there's more?" she asked. "Careful, you're going to spoil me."

"Oh, I intend to." he assured her. "In fact I intend to spoil you everyday for the rest of our lives together."

"That's an awfully big commitment."

He reached for her hand. "I think we're ready for a big commitment, don't you?"

Rhoda smiled. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that I love you Rhoda Faye Morgenstern." he told him. "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you." he pulled a little black box out of his pants pocket and dropped down to his knee. "Will you marry me?"

She was absolutely stunned. Of all the things she was expecting him to say, proposing sure as hell wasn't one of them. But she had never been happier in her entire life, in fact she was pretty sure she going to have a permanent smile on her face.

"Rhoda?"

"Yes." she replied, her eyes beginning to tear up. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Andy took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. "I love you." he said as he rose to his feet and pulled her into his arms. His lips moved to cover hers in a kiss that was soft and slow and perfect. "You have no idea how happy you've made me."

"You have no idea how happy you're made my mother." she joked.

"Why don't we fly up to New York next weekend so that I can meet her?" he suggested. "I want to my in-laws to like me."

"They're going to love you."

"I hope so."

Rhoda looked at the ring on her finger. "You have excellent taste."

"I know." he smiled. "But I thought you already knew that. After all I chose you, didn't I?"

"It's almost as though you're the perfect man." she told him. "Just like in the movies."

"I have my faults." he said. "But hopefully my good traits outshine the bad ones. I know that things aren't always going to be sunshine and roses, but I think we're going to be very happy together."

"So do I." she smiled.

Andy pulled a second black box out of his pocket and handed it to her. She opened it to find two wedding bands inside. "You've really planned ahead."

"Yeah." he breathed out. "I thought we could get married."

She arched an eyebrow. "Now?"

"I don't think there's any reason to wait, do you?"

"No." she replied. "As long as you don't mind my mother making us get married again in her church with all our family and friends present."

"Not at all." he said. "I was thinking that we could have a ceremony later, but I don't want to wait to be husband and wife."

"I don't either."

"There's this place down the road that sells marriage licenses for ten bucks." he said. "I thought maybe afterwards we go for a long walk on the beach."

"That's terribly romantic."

"The walk on the beach?" he asked. "You only told me ten times on the plane ride here how much you love walking along the beach."

"No, I meant the ten dollar marriage license."

"Well you can get a divorce for ten dollars as well."

"Good to know." she smiled. "What else do they sell?"

"Anything you can think of." he told her. "And they make a fantastic margarita."

"Sounds like the perfect place." she said. "Let's get married on the beach."

"Yeah?" he breathed out. "I think that could be arranged. Are you sure that you want to do this?" he asked. "Just the two of us?"

"I'm positive." she replied. "Besides I don't think this trip should go to waste. Someone should come back married."

"Is Mary going to be okay?"

"I think so." she told him. "She said that she needs a little time to herself. She's flying to Virginia to spend some time with her grandmother. She said that she would call in a few days."

"Hopefully things will work out."

"I'm sure they will." she smiled. "Let's hit a few of the shops,.I think we need appropriate wedding attire."

tbc...


	9. Chapter 9

Not Like the Movies

Chapter: 9

Rating: PG

A lot had happened in the last six months. Rhoda and Andy had gotten married. Twice. Once on the beach in Mexico and once in Minneapolis surrounded by their family and friends. Rhoda moved out of the attic apartment and in with Andy. But soon his one bedroom apartment wasn't enough so they bought a house right outside of the city. And just in time because in less than six months they were going to be a family of three.

Rhoda couldn't ever remember being happier. After years of kissing toads she had finally found her prince charming. Andy had been spoiling her since the moment they found out she was pregnant. He even insisted on doing the vacuuming and the laundry. And she wasn't about to object. Being with him had given her a sense of confidence that she never had before.

But tonight she was focusing on something else. Getting Mary and Jack back together. Over the past six months she had watched Mary go out on date after date with nothing but losers. It was almost as if the two of them had switched places. Rhoda couldn't stand to see Mary so unhappy when it was so very clear that she was miserable without Jack Callison in her life.

Andy finished setting the diningroom table and then made his way into the kitchen. His lovely wife was finishing up the spaghetti sauce. "Smells fantastic." he said as he started slicing up some tomatoes for the salad. "I still don't know if this is the best idea though."

"Nonsense." she waived him off. "We've spent time with both Mary and Jack since they broke up have you seen them happy with anyone else?"

"No." he replied. "But that still doesn't mean that you need to play matchmaker."

"Maybe it's just because I'm so happy that I want everyone else to be happy too." she said. "Is that so bad?"

Andy leaned over and kissed her check. "No." he said. "I think it's very sweet."

"You know I admit I wasn't crazy about Jack at first but after I got to know him I could see why Mary was so drawn to him." she told him. "They're really good together and I think they deserve a second chance."

"I agree." he replied. "But what are you going to do if this entire thing blows up? Inviting them both here under false pretenses might not have been the smartest move."

"I had to do something drastic." Rhoda said. "Trying to talk things out rationally has failed these past five months."

The doorbell rang in the distance. "You should get that." Andy said. "This is your show tonight."

Rhoda wiped her hands on the dishtowel. "No is not the time to be a coward, Andrew."

He laughed. "The only thing that's might save you tonight is our baby."

"Everything's going to be fine." she assured him, heading into the livingroom to answer the door. "You just wait and see."

Rhoda opened the door to find Mary on the other side. "Hiya, kid." she smiled. "How are you?"

"I can't complain." she said, handing her a bakery box. "I thought I would feed your craving."

She opened the door to let her friend inside. "Red velvet?"

"With extra cream cheese frosting." Mary hung up her coat. "So where's this fantastic mystery man?"

"He'll be here." she assured her. "I think the two of you are really going to hit it off."

"What makes you think that?"

Rhoda smiled. "Intuition." she said. "Why don't you come help me in the kitchen? Andy is butchering the salad."

Mary arched her eyebrow. "You're up to something."

"Perhaps." there was really no reason to deny it. "You'll thank me later though."

Mary was helping Rhoda finish up in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. This time she sent Andy to answer it. Jack's voice could be heard in the kitchen. And his voice was unmistakable. "Oh, Rhoda." she sighed. "You didn't. Please tell me you didn't."

"I'm afraid I did." she replied. "I was running out of ideas."

"And you thought this one was a good one?"

"Not so much a good idea as much as the only idea I had." she told her. "Please, please just go in there and talk to him."

"I don't want to talk to him." she said. "I said everything to him I needed to say in Mexico."

"Come on, Mary." she was almost pleading. "Just forget about your pride for a few moments and talk to him. Then you can leave if you want to."

"I don't know, Rhoda."

"Please?" she asked. "Do it for me."

Mary took a deep breath. "You know I can't turn you down." she said. "But if your baby is a girl you're naming her Mary."

"Okay, I'll go along with that." she said. "What if it's a boy?"

"Richard."

"Fair enough."

Andy came back into the kitchen. "I just want you to know that I didn't have anything to do with this, Mary." he said. "It was all her and her out of control hormones."

"I know you didn't, Andy." she smiled. "You're much too levelheaded for that."

"Yeah and I value my job."

Mary smiled. "I would never fire you, Andy." she said. "At least not while your wife is pregnant."

Andy laughed. "Jack's waiting for you in the guestroom."

"Thanks."

Andy wrapped his arms around his wife. "You know, I think you may be on to something."

"You think so?"

"Yeah." he smiled. "Everyone deserves to be as happy as we are."

Mary made her way out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into the bedroom. She found Jack sitting on the edge of the bed. Kind of ironic as he was sitting in the exact same spot in Mexico when she walked out on him. She carefully closed the door behind her. "I'm sorry about all this." she said. "I had no idea."

"Neither did I." he replied. "Well, not until I got here and saw your car."

She leaned up against the door. "Rhoda thinks we should talk."

Jack nodded. "I think that's a very good idea."

"I don't even know where to start..."

He reached out for her hand. "Come sit with me." he said. "How about I start by saying that I'm sorry."

"Well that's a good start." she slid her hand into his. "I'm sorry too." she sat down beside him. "I think we both made a mess of things."

"I'll agree with that." he replied. "Why don't we start over."

Mary smiled. "I think we deserve a second chance."

"Me too." Jack smiled back. "Just like in the movies."

Finished.


End file.
